Favorites

Favorites. We all have them. Favorite foods, books, movies, shoes, the list can go on and on. We are told as consumers to show bias towards a product; sports organizations get rich by people showing partiality towards one team. I have contributed to that cause.
I am so grateful God does not operate this way- no favorites or biases.

In the book of Acts, chapter 10, we witness our Lord's love, which has no boundaries and partiality (Galatians 3:28). Luke details how God brought together two people of diverse backgrounds – a centurion commander of an Italian regiment named Cornelis and the apostle Peter. God gives them a message to meet (vv.1-15). Cornelius, a God-fearing man, was told to seek Peter and hear his news (vv. 5-8). Through a vision, our Lord brought a new perspective on cleanliness for Peter (v.11-16). At first, the apostle wasn't sure of the vision's meaning (v.17) until he met Cornelius' men, told by the Spirit to go with them and have no doubts (v.20). It wasn't until Peter arrived at Caesarea and among Cornelius' relatives and close friends that the apostle realized what the Lord wanted him to know. He is not to call any person impure or unclean (v.28), declaring, "Now I truly understand that God doesn't show favoritism, but in every nation the person who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him" (vv. 34-35). The message of Christ doesn't recognize favorites, just those who need a Savior (Romans 2:1-11).

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